High Flying Trouble
by AliasCWN
Summary: The Rat PAtrol runs afoul of pilots on both sides.
1. Chapter 1

**High Flying Trouble**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 1

Hitch slowed the jeep and searched the sky.

"What is it Hitch?"

"I hear a plane Sarge. It sounds low."

Troy twisted in his seat to search the sky behind them. If the plane was coming in off of the ocean they would have all heard it.

Tully slowed his jeep alongside and Moffitt looked over at Troy expectantly.

"Hitch hears a plane." Troy called. Moffitt nodded and reached for his binoculars.

The Rat Patrol had been tasked with delivering an operative to a drop off point where he had been picked up by a submarine. Having successfully completed the mission, they were on their way home. Not to their regular base but one near the coast that supported bombers that attacked the German supply lines stretching from the sea to the interior.

There was a mountain range that followed the coastline and Troy had decided that the mountains and hills at their base would provide good cover for the jeeps. There was a German base near the coast that had a squadron of fighters to defend against the American bombers and Troy had been warned to avoid the open as much as possible. The installation protecting the German supply line was between the Rat Patrol and their base, making it important to stay undetected since much of their route would follow the coast, allowing the fighters to predict their course.

"Do you think we passed that installation yet?" Troy asked Moffitt as they watched for the plane.

The British sergeant looked over and nodded his head thoughtfully. "I think so. If my calculations are correct, we should have bypassed it about twenty minutes ago. That still leaves it way to close for comfort. Are you thinking that we were spotted and they sent a plane out to find us?"

"No." Troy answered. "We've been staying pretty close to cover for the last couple of hours. I was just wondering if it might be a damaged plane returning to its base."

"That's possible." The Brit admitted. "And I must admit, I like that idea better than my suggestion."

Troy smiled. "Let's not borrow trouble before we have to." The sounds of the plane grew louder and Troy took a quick survey of their surroundings. "Find us some better cover." He ordered.

Hitch nodded and hurried to find the cover before the plane found them. They were still close enough that any plane that found them could radio the base and get help within minutes. There wasn't enough room to maneuver if they had to dodge several planes at once.

Tully kept pace right behind them since there wasn't room to drive alongside. He glanced at the damp sand beneath the wheels and was grateful that it wasn't dusty. They might leave faint tracks in the wet sand but it wouldn't raise a dust cloud to give away their location. The German patrols had worn a path along the coast that their tracks blended in with and made it unlikely that they would be spotted.

"There!" Troy shouted to get his driver's attention. He pointed to a cut in the rocks along the trail that looked big enough to hide both jeeps. Trees lined both sides with both ends open, making it ideal for their purpose.

Hitch nodded and headed for the cut with Tully close behind. Both jeeps fit but there wasn't much room to spare. Hitch and Tully stayed in their seats, ready for a quick getaway if needed. Troy and Moffitt jumped down and pulled the camo nets over the vehicles. They both reached for field glasses and ducked under the net to watch for the plane.

The heavy roar of the plane engines echoed back and forth across the mountain peaks making it hard to tell where the sound was coming from. Troy checked the sea side again but it was still clear.

"Something is wrong." Moffitt tilted his head to hear better.

Troy didn't look over at Moffitt's announcement; his attention was focused on the sound of the approaching aircraft. A moment later the plane crossed over the mountain peak and came into sight. The heavy plane was flying low, barely missing the top of the mountain. Thick black smoke poured from one of the engines, leaving a trail that was visible for miles. As they watched the plane turned and followed the coastline, headed for the American base.

"A bomber." Moffitt identified the plane.

"There must have been an air raid on the German ships again." Troy suggested.

"That bomber came from over the mountains; the ships would have been in the other direction." The Brit pointed out.

"Maybe they bombed the supplies that made it onto trucks."

"That's possible. Some of the ships do get through. That one looks like it ran into some heavy flak." The plane dropped lower as the pilots tried to avoid the enemy radar. The flak damage was easy to see from below.

"Hey Sarge!"

Troy turned toward the jeeps and called an assurance to Tully and Hitch. "It's one of ours."

"That one may be," Tully called back, "but those aren't."

Troy and Moffitt twisted from watching the bomber to see two German fighters streaking straight toward it. Troy looked back at the bomber in time to see them alter their flight path when they spotted the fighters.

"That bomber's too slow to outrun them." Troy growled. "It's a sitting duck."

"Perhaps not." Moffitt answered. His attention was focused on two more fighters who were chasing the crippled bomber.

Troy focused his glasses on the new fighters. "Ours." He announced. The white stars on the wings stood out in sharp contrast as the planes passed overhead.

The four men watched as the German fighters reached the bomber first. Tracers streaked toward the larger plane. They could hear the rapid fire of the guns mounted on the front of the fighters. The pilots of the bomber tried to avoid them but the plane was too big and too slow. They couldn't even climb into the cloud cover to escape, there weren't any clouds. The bright blue sky was clear as far as the eye could see.

The watchers winced as they imagined the bullets tearing through the thin outer shell of the large plane. The crew would be nearly defenseless against the faster fighters. They had their side guns but it didn't look like anyone was manning them. The fighters were closing in for the kill.

The lead fighter banked to begin another run at the crippled bomber. As he moved out of the way the second fighter ripped more of the plane's outer shell to ribbons. The bomber's pilot tried to climb above the fighters but his plane seemed sluggish. He gave it up and dove closer to the ground instead. Both fighters followed him down.

Just when it looked as if the bomber was defenseless the tail gunner opened up on the overconfident fighters. The bullets steaking toward them had both planes peeling off in surprise. They quickly repositioned themselves for another attack.

They were closing in on the bomber again when the American fighters caught up to the battle. The two American fighters pounced on the German fighters from above, catching them off guard.

One of the German fighters took a hit but it didn't slow him down. He made a sharp turn and quickly gained altitude. The American fighter followed, shadowing his every move. The other two fighters were also locked in an aerial duel that was almost too fast to follow.

The bomber's pilot took advantage of the dual face-off to increase the distance between him and the fighters. He continued his desperate race toward his own base while the smaller planes fought it out. Troy and his men ignored the bomber to watch the fighters.

The first set of fighters had gone out over the water as they chased one another in an impressive display of aerial ballet. They twisted and dived over and over again as each one tried to get the advantage over the other. One would loop over the other only to find himself facing the same maneuver performed by his challenger. Neither one seemed to be able to break the stalemate. If the stakes hadn't been so high the four men watching would have enjoyed the levels of skill displayed by both sides.

The Germans, on the offensive at first, now found themselves on the defense. They couldn't shake the American fighters to follow the bomber and they couldn't get a hit on the American fighters. The Americans were persistent, giving the bomber time to get away.

"Ut-oh." Tully drawled.

One of the German fighters was locked on the American fighter's tail. The American pilot twisted and turned but he was having trouble shaking him. He tried a loop overhead but the German followed. He tried diving toward the ground but that didn't work either. He was climbing again when the German fighter opened fire. The American plane shook under the impact of the lead. Flames began to shoot from the engine. As the men below watched the pilot pushed his canopy free and bailed out. The fighter continued to climb as the pilot arched through the sky and started toward the earth. The plane nose-dived to the ground as the white silk parachute caught the air and billowed out to slow the pilot's fall. Gripping his cords, the pilot began to guide the chute toward the base of the mountain where he could find cover until someone could pick him up.

As those on the ground watched in horror the German fighter circled around and ran straight at the falling pilot. The gun on the nose of the plane began to spit lead. The body of the pilot jerked under the repeated impacts. His arms dropped to his sides as his head rolled on his shoulder. They watched as he went limp and floated downward at the mercy of the wind. The body landed near the base of the mountain near a clump of easily recognizable rocks. All four men made a mental note of its location.

"Sarge!" Hitch's call drew everyone's attention back to the second pair of planes.

The American pilot must have seen what happened because he quit chasing the other fighter and went for the one who had shot the helpless pilot. Caught watching his victim fall to the ground the German pilot failed to notice the second American fighter until it was too late. Bullets tore into his plane before he could dodge the attack. Within minutes he found himself forced to bail out as his wing disintegrated from all of the damage. The American pilot was coming toward him as his chute opened when the second German plane rejoined the fight. Another fight ensued with both planes taking heavy damage. The German pilot decided he had had enough and he broke off contact and fled toward his base with the American fighter giving chase. Troy and the others watched until they both vanished over the top of the mountain.

"That was interesting." Moffitt murmured as the sounds of the planes faded.

"Sarge."

Troy turned toward Hitch. "What?"

"That pilot, he fell pretty close to where we're going."

"You want to find him." Troy guessed.

"Yeah." Hitch nodded.

"He's one of ours." Tully added. "It only seems right to bury him. At least somebody will know where to find him."

"All right, if we can find him without too much trouble." Troy agreed. "Remember, the krauts are going to be looking for their guy too."

"He landed further down the coast." Tully responded.

"We'll have to stay near the mountain and stay alert for planes." Moffitt warned. "The Germans will send ground troops to look for their pilot, theirs and ours."

"Ours is dead." Troy answered. "I doubt they'll bother with him."

"They will want to verify his death." Moffitt insisted.

"The surviving pilot can probably do that," Troy replied. "He probably saw what happened too." He turned and began to pull the net off of the jeep. The sound of a plane returning sent them diving for cover again "Down!" Troy yelled.

The four of them watched as the plane flew directly over them.

"The second fighter." Troy relaxed as he recognized the damaged plane from the recent battle. "He must be headed home after chasing that fighter off."

"He'll be lucky to get back to his base." Hitch remarked. "He looks like he got chewed up pretty bad in that last fight."

"He's headed the same way we are." Tully observed.

"Probably headed for the same base" Troy growled. "That means Jerry will be looking for him right where we need to go. They know he has major damage. We're going to have to be extra alert and stay out of sight."

"At least the bomber got away." Hitch added.

"Yeah," Troy nodded, "now we need to do the same. This whole area is going to be crawling with search parties looking for that downed pilot."

"There were patrols before the planes went down." Moffitt noted. "This just increases the vigilance required. We know they're here but they don't know about us; we need to keep it that way."

"You make it sound so easy." Troy growled.

"Not easy, necessary." Moffitt smiled.

"Yeah." Troy agreed. "Let's get moving before they have time to alert all of their ground troops. Maybe we can get out of this area before their search parties arrive."

"Hardly likely old man." Moffitt replied. "The search parties will be ahead of us. That pilot didn't go down here, he went down over there."

"Inconsiderate of him." Troy replied.

"Quite." The Brit agreed.

The two jeeps pulled back onto the trail and ran for their own lines. Troy and Moffitt kept their eyes and ears open for planes and enemy patrols. Tully and Hitch concentrated on keeping the jeeps out of sight as much as possible without impeding their progress. No one spoke as they pushed their vehicles to cover more ground. As the minutes flew by so did the terrain. They still hadn't spotted any enemy activity when the distinctive rock formation appeared in front of them.

"Sarge." Tully's call drew all of their attention. When they looked his way he pointed toward a figure running for cover the ground near the base of a hill.

"It's the German pilot." Moffitt called. "He's seen us and is running for cover."

"Let's go!" Troy urged. "He'll tell the others we're here if we let him get away."

The two jeeps raced after the lone figure on foot. They overtook him before he could reach any kind of shelter. He tried to hide in the brush along the trail but the Allied soldiers split up and surrounded him. Moffitt called for him to surrender or be shot.

The downed pilot hesitated, refusing to answer the sergeant. It wasn't until Troy lost patience and ordered the others to close in that the pilot admitted the hopelessness of the situation and gave up. Calling to Moffitt, he stood with his hands in the air. Moffitt ordered him to throw his sidearm onto the ground. Hitch and Tully rushed him and searched him for more weapons. They barely had time to tie his hands before Troy began issuing orders.

"Get him in the jeep, we need to get moving."

The pilot was shoved toward the jeep and tied into the seat beside Tully. The jeeps immediately continued their race toward the American base. They hadn't gone far after picking up the pilot before Hitch gave a call and turned from the trail. Picking his way through the rock formations he led them toward the base of a nearby hill. Lying among the rocks was the white parachute they had been watching for. The jeeps pulled up next to it and Hitch and Tully jumped out to investigate. They pulled on the fabric to untangle the folds.

"He never had a chance." Tully remarked as he stared down at the bullet-riddled body they had uncovered.

"At least he didn't suffer." Hitch offered in consolation.

"He wasn't even armed." Tully answered.

"Yeah, I know." Hitch nodded. He reached down and pulled the dog tags from around the neck of the dead pilot. Wrapping the chain around his fingers he carried them over to Troy.

"Dead?"

Hitch nodded solemnly. "He was dead long before he hit the ground. Those bullets tore him up pretty good."

Troy nodded as he took the dog tags. "Collect any personal items and put them in the jeep. Wrap the body in the parachute for burial. Moffitt and I will get started on a grave."

"You ought to let that guy do it." Hitch suggested. "He shot him." He didn't even try to keep the anger out of his voice. The prisoner looked over at him and smirked.

"Not a bad idea." Troy agreed. "We can keep an eye on him and get the grave dug at the same time." Troy reached for the shovel in the back of his jeep. "Tell Tully to stand guard."

"Right Sarge." Hitch returned to the body and sent Tully to stand guard. He gently searched the body for personal items that could be returned to the family. After putting the items in the jeep he carefully wrapped the body in the folds of the silk parachute.

Troy grabbed his machine gun and handed the shovel to the German pilot after untying his hands. "Moffitt, tell him he's going to help dig the grave."

When Moffitt translated the message the prisoner snapped something in return.

"What did he say?" Troy demanded.

"He says he won't do it." Moffitt answered. As if to emphasize his refusal the prisoner threw the shovel on the ground at Troy's feet.

Troy gave a low growl and took a step back. "Moffitt, step away." Troy waited until Moffitt had stepped out of the way. He pointed the gun at the prisoner and glared at him. "Tell him he'll do as he's told or I shoot him right here and now."

Moffitt repeated the warning in German.

The prisoner eyed Troy defiantly. He turned to Moffitt and spit out an answer that brought a smile to Moffitt's lips.

"What's it going to be?"

"He says he's a prisoner of war. You can't just shoot him." Moffitt translated. His amusement must have been evident in his tone because the prisoner eyed him uneasily.

Troy laughed then sobered and gave the prisoner another glare. "Tell him we'll give him the same chance he gave that pilot."

When Moffitt translated Troy's words the prisoner paled noticeably.

"He's got thirty seconds to make up his mind." Troy warned.

Moffitt repeated the warning.

The prisoner hesitated, eyeing both sergeants. Whatever he saw must have convinced him that Troy was serious. With an angry nod of his head he agreed to dig the grave. He picked up the shovel and waited to be told where to dig.

"He wants to know where we want the grave." Moffitt translated with a smile.

Troy looked around for a sheltered spot that would be protected from the worst of the elements. Somewhere they could mark so that the body could be recovered if the chance presented itself at a later date. Spotting a small space behind a group of rocks he pointed it out. "That should do it. The rocks will make it easy to find again if we need to."

Moffitt led the way to the chosen spot with the prisoner following. Troy brought up the rear with his rifle pointed at the prisoner the entire time. The two sergeants took turns helping the prisoner dig the grave. Troy wasn't being considerate; he was just in a hurry to get moving. The first part was fairly easy but the ground got harder the deeper they went. They were all sweaty and tired by the time they finished.

"Hitch, bring that body over here!"

Hitch gently picked up the dead pilot and carried him over to the newly dug grave. With Moffitt's help he lowered the body into the hole. Hitch and the pilot shoveled the dirt over the silk wrapped corpse.

Troy said a few words over the grave and turned away. "Tully, time to go!" He eyed the jeeps critically as he approached them. "I guess we should check the gas and water before we go."

"Already done Sarge." Hitch answered. At Troy's look of surprise Hitch shrugged. "I did it while you were digging the grave. I had time to service both jeeps after I finished wrapping the body."

"That's good. Now we can get going. I have a feeling we are going to be getting company around here before too going."

Tully ran down and joined them and they continued on toward the American base. No one spoke as they traveled, most of them replaying the aerial battle in their minds.

The German kept quiet, trying not to draw attention to himself. He knew from Troy's warning that they knew he was the one who shot the helpless American pilot as he floated toward the ground. He'd seen their anger as the pilot was buried and he didn't want to test their patience any more than he already had, Troy had warned him what would happen.

The next hour flew by and Troy was starting to breathe a little easier. They had left the area of the aerial battle and he didn't think the Germans would search too far for their missing man. They knew the general area where he went down and they would concentrate their search there. He glanced back at the prisoner and saw him watching the ridge above them with interest.

"Hitch. Find cover."

Hitch put the jeep closer to the bank next to them and slowed as he searched for a place to pull off the road they were following. The sand was damp and well packed so they weren't leaving tracks that would be noticed from a distance.

There were gullies formed from the water running off of the nearby mountain that were wide enough to hide the jeeps, if only from a distance. Hitch backed into one, going deep enough to allow Tully to back in in front of him. They didn't bother with the nets because the gullies were deep enough to give them cover from everything but a plane.

"What is it?"

Troy glanced toward Moffitt with a grim look on his face. "A German patrol."

The two sergeants took their binoculars and climbed to the top of the gully to watch the Germans. Hitch took a rifle and went to watch the trail they had been traveling on. That left Tully to grab a machine gun and watch the prisoner.

"Did they see us?" Moffitt asked as they watched the actions of the Germans.

"I don't know." Troy admitted. "I don't think so."

Moffitt lifted his glasses to watch the Germans again. "Well they're definitely looking for something."

"Yeah," Troy agreed, "but what…or who?"


	2. Chapter 2

**High Flying Trouble**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

Tully glanced up toward his sergeants and rolled his matchstick with his tongue. He could hear them talking but their voices were too low to hear what they were saying. He glanced over to check on Hitch and noticed that the other private didn't appear to be alarmed. Hitch looked alert but relaxed as he watched the area toward the sea.

The blond must have sensed him watching because he turned and looked back at him. Tully gave him a nod, telling him that everything was under control. Hitch smiled and blew a bubble in return. It popped as he turned back to watch the trail again.

Tully glanced back toward the sergeants to see them watching something closer to the mountain. He turned back in time to see the prisoner sliding out of his seat.

"Hey!" Tully yelled. He didn't yell loud but it still alerted the prisoner that his escape had been noticed. At Tully's yell he reached down with his bound hands and grabbed a hand full of sand. As Tully ran around the jeep to stop him he threw the sand in Tully's face.

Tully saw it coming and was able to avoid most of it but some still got into his eyes. He stopped abruptly, blinking his eyes rapidly, trying to clear his vision. The prisoner wanted to grab a weapon but Tully was holding one and standing right next to the other in its holder. Deciding that there wasn't time to grab it, he turned and ran. As he ran he shouted, hoping to get the attention of whoever the sergeants were watching. Hitch and Tully both gave chase.

Tully ran after the blurry figure ahead of him as the tears ran freely down his cheeks. His eyes burned and he hoped he wasn't doing them any harm by keeping them open and blinking. At the moment the only thing that mattered was catching the prisoner before he could alert the patrol on the ridge above them. Tully pushed himself faster catching the pilot before he could find a place to climb the bank to the ledge above. Still not able to see clearly, Tully went for a tackle. He spread his arms wide and dove at the running pilot. He hit the German's legs with his shoulder and wrapped his arms around them. They both went down in a tangle of limbs. They landed on the machine gun in Tully's hand, knocking the wind out of both of them. Tully recovered first since he landed on top. He tried to control the wiggling body beneath him while keeping him quiet.

"Tully, shut him up!" Troy called in a loud whisper.

Tully tried but the prisoner wiggled and squirmed until he pulled Tully's hand away from his mouth. Tully felt him draw a deep breath and knew he was about to shout again. The German threw his head back to yell and there was nothing Tully could do to stop him.

Out of the corner of his eye Tully saw Hitch slide to a stop beside them. He glanced up at the other private, still hampered by the sand in his eyes. There was a thud and the prisoner went limp in his arms. Reluctant to let go in case the German was faking, Tully looked up at Hitch again.

"You can let go Tully." The blond assured him. "He's going to be out for a while."

Tully nodded and released his grip on the unconscious pilot.

"Are you all right?" Hitch reached down and helped Tully sit up. The tears were still running down his face cutting streaks in the dust that had accumulated as they drove.

Tully nodded. "Just got sand in my eyes." He reached up to rub his eyes but stopped himself in time.

"I'll get a canteen. You stay here." Hitch urged. He got up and ran for the jeeps.

"Is Tully okay?" Troy called as his driver returned to the jeeps.

"Yeah," Hitch answered, "but he has sand in his eyes. I'm taking him a canteen."

"I'll be right there." Moffitt offered. "We don't want him to scratch his eyes."

"He hasn't rubbed them Doc but he couldn't keep them closed either. He had to catch the prisoner."

Moffitt nodded that he understood and turned to slide carefully off of the ledge toward the jeeps. He followed Hitch as the blond took the canteen to Tully.

"Hitch, take our prisoner back to the jeep and tie him to the seat. Gag him first; we can't have him alerting that patrol." Moffitt knelt next to Tully as he issued the order.

"Right Doc."

"I'm sorry Doc; I only looked away for a second."

"That's all right Tully, no harm done. That patrol was too far away to hear him. They are getting closer though so we need to get your eyes cleaned so you can drive if it becomes necessary. I may have to use the 50."

Tully nodded. "I can drive Doc."

Moffitt smiled as he looked at Tully's tear streaked face. "I'm sure you can Tully but I think I would feel better if you could actually see where you were going. Let's get that sand out of your eyes shall we?"

"I guess I'd feel better if I could see too." Tully admitted. He tilted his head back so the sergeant could pour water in his eyes.

When Moffitt finished Tully's eyes were still red and irritated but he could see again. "There, that should do it. How does that feel?" The sergeant leaned back and watched as Tully blinked his eyes.

Tully blinked again and nodded. "A lot better Doc thanks. I guess we should go over there and see what's going on."

Moffitt reached over and helped Tully to his feet. "Perhaps it would be wise to clean that before you use it." Moffitt nodded toward the gun that Tully had fallen on when he tackled the prisoner. "It wouldn't do to try to fire it with sand in the barrel."

Tully nodded. "I'll make sure I clean it when I get a chance. Until then we can use the other ones."

"Then perhaps it's time to check with Troy and see what that patrol is doing. I'd rather avoid a fight with them this close to that air base. If they called for help the planes could reach us before we could get out of the area."

"You go check with Sarge." Tully urged. "I'm going to go help Hitch watch the jeeps and the prisoner. We'll be ready to go if Sarge wants to leave in a hurry."

The sergeant nodded. "I'll be right back to let you know what's happening."

"Take your time Doc, if you're in no hurry that means we weren't spotted."

Moffitt smiled and nodded. He glanced over at the jeeps to be sure things were under control before he went to talk to Troy.

Tully slid he dirty machine gun back into its holder and went over to talk to Hitch. "Thanks for your help."

"No trouble Tully. You already had him; all I did was hit him. Like I said, no trouble at all." Hitch glared at the prisoner who was still slumped in the seat.

Tully shook his head. "He was trying to wiggle loose, he almost made it."

Hitch looked over at the prisoner again. "If that had happened I may have had to shoot him. After what he did I wouldn't have felt bad about that either."

"It would have alerted that patrol."

Hitch looked back at Tully. "Yeah, I would have felt bad about that."

Moffitt and Troy were still watching the patrol but they were discussing the prisoner too.

"That was quick thinking, throwing sand in Tully's eyes."

"He almost got away." Moffitt agreed. "Not an easy thing to do with those two on guard."

"But he didn't." Troy argued. "He underestimated Tully. That was his first mistake."

"And his second?" Moffitt asked.

"He forgot about Hitch." Troy smiled. "He may have outrun Tully but he wouldn't have been able to outrun the bullets Hitch sent his way. It would have revealed our presence but Hitch wouldn't have let him get away, not after what he did."

"He received more consideration than he gave that poor pilot."

"Yeah, but when that gets out he won't be too popular among the guards at the POW camp either." Troy turned back toward the German patrol in the distance. "What do you think they're looking for out there?"

"Us perhaps."

Troy scrunched his face up in denial. "I don't think so. They're doing a pretty thorough search of the cover, even the small stuff. If they were looking for us they wouldn't waste their time on anything too small to hide a jeep."

"Perhaps they are trying to drive us into a trap."

Troy shook his head again. "There are only two of them. We could just go around. If they wanted to drive us anywhere they'd need more than just two cars."

"Flush us out for the planes to find."

"We haven't heard any planes."

"Then perhaps you can come up with a suggestion." The Brit challenged. "I'm all out of ideas."

"Not off hand." Troy answered. "But whatever it is they're hunting, they're coming this way."

"Then may I suggest that we sneak out of here before they find us by accident? If it's not us they're seeking then why let them know we're in the area?"

Troy smiled at Moffitt's tone. "I'm not saying your ideas weren't good ones, I just don't happen to agree with them." Troy grinned. "But that last one is your best idea yet."

"Then you agree with that one at least?"

"Yeah I do. We aren't going to be able to erase our tracks but maybe they won't notice them, they kind of blend in with all the other tracks around here. The best case scenario would be if they found what they are looking for before they get this far."

"We can't count on that."

"No, and that's why we're leaving."

Moffitt nodded and began to work his way down the edge of the bank.

"Moffitt!" Troy hissed.

"What is it now?" The Brit asked.

"I think I just found what they're looking for."

"Really? What is it?"

"Not what, who." Troy answered.

Moffitt stayed where he was, waiting for Troy to explain.

"It looks like that second plane didn't make it back to his base after all."

"They're hunting another of their downed pilots?" Moffitt remembered how the second German plane had looked damaged as it fled from the second American fighter.

"Not theirs, ours."

Moffitt nodded as he recalled the smoke trailing from the American fighter as it passed over their heads after chasing the German fighter off. "He must have ditched the plane after he got out of our sight. I was hoping that he would make it back."

"It has to be him unless there is another one out here." Troy answered.

"Bloody unlikely." Moffitt stated.

"Whoever he is, he looks American from the uniform." Troy stiffened as he watched the downed pilot and the German patrol.

"Troy?"

"I think they saw him. He's trying to hide in the rocks but I think they saw the movement as he ducked down."

"Are they going after him?"

Troy didn't answer right away as he continued to watch the drama unfolding in the distance. The pilot found another grouping of rocks and tried squirm into the middle of them for cover. Troy watched as he poked his head up to look for the patrol.

One of the Germans saw him and gave a shout before pointing to the pilot's location.

"They found him!" Troy called as he twisted to slide after Moffitt.

Moffitt dropped the rest of the way to the ground and reached up to help Troy. Troy staggered as his feet hit the ground but with the other sergeant's support he caught himself and ran for the jeeps. "Let's go!" Troy called before he reached them.

Tully and Hitch both turned at the urgent call. They were in the jeeps before the sergeants got there.

Tully slid behind the wheel and glanced over at his passenger. Hitch had tied the German to the seat so he couldn't get out but Tully checked the ropes anyway. The German's head rolled to the side as the jeep shifted under Tully's weight. The gag in his mouth would prevent him from alerting the patrol even if he did wake up before the sergeants announced their presence in a loud way. Tully put the jeep in gear as Moffitt climbed behind the 50 and cleared the chamber.

Hitch and Troy led out as Troy checked the ammunition belt on his gun. He lowered the barrel and Hitch reached up and pulled the dust cover. Troy stood as tall as he could to try to see over the bank that blocked his view of the German patrol. He couldn't see anything and he growled in frustration. The jeep shifted as Hitch found a cut that would take them up over the bank and right to the clearing where the patrol cars were racing toward the rocks. Troy gripped the 50 for balance and looked ahead.

As the second jeep reached the top of the bank Troy twisted and waved Tully and Moffitt to the side. The other jeep started to circle to get behind the cars before the Germans saw them. He ordered Hitch to cut between the patrol cars and the downed pilot.

The pilot opened fire on the patrol cars before anyone knew the two jeeps were racing their way. In his rush to protect himself he fired before the Germans were within range. His gun clicked on an empty chamber without hitting a single German. The attempt did alert the soldiers to his exact location and they corrected their course accordingly. The two cars split up, attempting to approach from two sides. The pilot couldn't watch them both without exposing himself to one or the other. He ducked into the rocks again and kept his head down.

Troy opened fire to draw the attention of the Germans before they could reach the downed pilot. With his longer range he was able to hit one of the cars even before the German guns could return fire. His bullets hit the engine and the car rolled to a stop. Hitch continued closing the distance while Troy tried to prevent the soldiers from reaching a radio. By the time the jeep reached the disabled car the German crew was dead.

Troy looked around, and spotted the second patrol car fleeing from Tully and Moffitt. Moffitt had surprised them but the second driver had reacted more quickly than his fellow driver. Upon seeing the jeep the driver had turned back toward his base. The crew tried to keep Moffitt off target as the driver raced over the uneven terrain. The patrol car was slower and less responsive than Tully's jeep. Tully took the bumps in stride while the patrol car floundered at every turn of the wheel. As Tully closed the gap the car hit a ditch and flipped, throwing the occupants flying. Only one tried to fight after getting to his feet. Moffitt's bullets sent him flying backward into the overturned car before he rolled to the ground.

Tully pulled up next to the wrecked car and grabbed a machine gun to cover Moffitt as he checked for survivors. The sergeant rolled each German over and checked for a pulse. He didn't find any. He looked over at Tully and shook his head. Tully chewed on his matchstick and looked at the carnage they had wrought. He shook his head at the waste as Moffitt climbed back into the jeep. They drove back to rejoin Troy and Hitch.

As they approached the disabled patrol car the radio in the car began to crackle. A voice came over the radio speaking in a commanding way. Moffitt jumped off the jeep and ran to stand next to the car. He listened as the voice continued.

The sergeant reached for the radio and began to carry on a conversation with whoever was on the other end of the transmission. He listened for a moment and then looked over at Tully with a frown. When he spoke again Tully heard him giving someone coordinates. When the sergeant replaced the radio he immediately looked around for Troy.

"Something wrong Doc?"

Moffitt nodded as he looked back at Tully. "The patrol radioed back to the base for a plane to help them."

Tully glanced up at the sky expecting to see a German plane diving at them.

"It hasn't left the base yet." Moffitt explained when he saw Tully's reaction. "The planes were on a mission to protect some ships coming in, they're refueling now. Estimated time of arrival is twenty minutes."

"That doesn't give us much time to get out of here." Tully drawled as he rolled his matchstick.

"No it doesn't." Moffitt agreed. "But perhaps we could run for ten minutes and then hide. At least we wouldn't be right on top of the patrol cars."

"They know about us now, they'll widen the search."

"Yes, but I told them we were headed inland. They may not believe me but it was the best I could do. I tried to tell them that we had it under control but they insisted on sending the plane anyway. We're to look for their missing pilot too." Moffitt added with a smile.

"Maybe you should have told them that we already found him." Tully suggested.

"Perhaps." Moffitt nodded. "But I thought they might split their forces if they think he's still out here. Even one less plane looking for us is a help."

Tully nodded thoughtfully. "I guess we'd better go break the news to Sarge."


	3. Chapter 3

**High Flying Trouble**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

When they reached the other jeep Troy was standing beside it talking to the American pilot. He looked over as Tully rolled to a stop. The look he gave Moffitt warned them both that something wasn't right.

The moment the pilot saw their passenger he reached for his sidearm. He had the gun up and pulled the trigger before Troy could stop him. The hammer fell on an empty chamber and the pilot screamed in frustration. He threw the weapon to the ground and lunged for the throat of the prisoner. Troy threw himself in the way and Hitch slid from his seat to help the sergeant.

"Get back Lieutenant!" Troy yelled. "He's a prisoner of war!"

"He shot Andy! Andy was helpless, he couldn't defend himself!" The lieutenant struggled to get past Troy and Hitch.

"We saw it." Troy admitted. "You're right; he didn't give him a chance."

"I'm going to kill him!"

"No Lieutenant, you're not." Troy argued. "If word gets out that we're shooting unarmed POW's then the Germans will retaliate. What if you or another one of your friends gets shot down and gets captured?"

"I don't care!"

"Well I do!" Troy yelled. "I care because it might be my men who end up paying for your revenge. I won't let that happen!"

"There isn't time to debate this here." Moffitt interrupted in a calm voice.

"What's going on Moffitt?" Troy asked without moving or taking his eyes off of the American pilot.

"That patrol called for help." The Brit explained. "A plane is due to arrive here in approximately twenty minutes." Moffitt looked at the American officer. "Our best interest would be served by leaving this area immediately."

"You heard him Lieutenant, we're moving out." Troy growled.

"Not until I kill that kraut!"

"Suit yourself Lieutenant, but we're leaving. You can get in the jeep or find your own way home. Either way the prisoner stays with us. We're turning him over to command; they'll decide what to do with him."

"I order you to step aside Sergeant!"

"I'm stepping aside." Troy replied. "I'm getting into my jeep and we're leaving." He looked over his shoulder at Moffitt's jeep. "We're taking our prisoner and getting out of here. You do what you want Lieutenant, but you only have thirty seconds to make up your mind before we leave you here."

Moffitt tapped Tully on the shoulder and Tully started to drive away. The Lieutenant stared after them angrily.

Troy climbed into the rear of his jeep and checked the ammo on the 50. He glanced over at the officer who stood rooted to the spot watching the other jeep drive away. "What's it going to be Lieutenant?"

"Oh all right! I'm coming!" The officer relented. He slid into the seat beside Hitch and cursed as he was thrown back into the seat as the jeep took off to catch up to Tully.

"I thought you'd be used to fast accelerations." Troy smiled as the lieutenant glared at Hitch.

"This isn't over Sergeant!"

"It was never up for debate Lieutenant, the sooner you realize that the better."

The road got rough but Moffitt kept Tully moving as fast as possible. There was no more conversation as everyone concentrated on staying in the fast moving vehicles while watching for enemy patrols or the expected plane.

Ten minutes later Tully found another wash in the bank and pulled into it. Hitch crowded his jeep in close behind. Both privates reached for their camo nets while the sergeants watched both of their unhappy passengers.

"Why are stopping Sergeant?" The lieutenant demanded. "I thought you said that we had to get out of the area."

"We do Lieutenant." Troy answered with a sigh. "But that plane is due soon and we don't want to get caught in the open. We don't want him to spot us. We can't outrun a plane."

The lieutenant was quiet for a minute as everyone watched the sky. "You said you saw the dogfight. I didn't see you."

"We saw you Lieutenant. We were hiding in a spot much like this one. The nets were over the jeeps then too."

"I didn't see you."

"You weren't supposed to see us. We had no idea who was coming when we heard the planes. We were watching that damaged bomber when you showed up. Do you know if the bomber got away?"

"Yes." The officer nodded. "I heard them talking to the base on the radio right before my engine died and I had to bail out."

"Where's your plane?"

"About a mile that way." The pilot pointed toward the water. "After I jumped I drifted inland to find a place to hide. I saw the rock formation where Andy went down and tried to land near it."

"Then the krauts don't have a wreck to use as a starting point for their search?"

"Not unless they use those patrol cars." The lieutenant answered sarcastically. He made it sound as if it were Troy's fault that the Germans had found him."

"Those cars saw you and would have picked you up if we hadn't stopped them." Troy responded. "Until then they didn't know we were in the area. You're lucky we were close by and in a position to help."

"It didn't do Andy any good." The officer responded bitterly.

"We might have been able to protect him after he landed but we can't fly Lieutenant. He was on his own until he reached the ground."

"But you're protecting the kraut that killed him."

"No Lieutenant, we're protecting future POWs. Like I said, if the krauts found out we killed him after we captured him they would do the same to our guys. I don't like it any more than you do but that's the way it has to be."

"According to you."

"According to me." Troy repeated firmly. "We'll turn him over to the authorities and let them decide what to do with him. Until then, he's our prisoner and will be treated according to the rules of the Geneva Convention." Troy turned to his own men, ignoring the officer, and issued his orders.

"Tully, take a pair of binoculars and go stand guard. Keep a sharp eye out for patrols as well as planes. Hitch, watch the prisoner. I don't want him causing any more trouble."

"Do you want me to get him out of the jeep?"

"No," Troy decided, "we may have to leave in a hurry, leave him in there."

Hitch nodded and went to stand next to the prisoner. The prisoner glared at him but Hitch ignored him.

It wasn't long before they heard a plane engine drawing closer and closer.

"Ours Lieutenant?" Troy looked toward the American pilot.

"No, German." The officer replied shortly.

Troy nodded and listened to the plane circle overhead. The German pilot made several passes over them, dropping lower with each pass. The men under the net tensed every time the plane flew over their heads. Finally the pilot turned his plane and headed back over the mountain toward his base.

"He's leaving Sarge." Tully called.

"Give him five minutes Tully, just in case he circles back." Troy responded.

"He may have seen out tracks." Moffitt suggested.

"If he did he probably called it in." Hitch added.

"Then he would have stuck around to guide the ground troops to us." Troy reasoned.

"Maybe he's low on fuel." Hitch suggested.

"They were refueling." Moffitt replied. "That's why he didn't get here sooner."

"Whatever the reason, it sounds like he gave up." Troy answered.

Maybe he doesn't like this guy either." Hitch nodded toward the prisoner. "Maybe they don't care if we keep him."

Troy laughed. "Yeah, I'll bet that's it." He gave Hitch a friendly shove. "Let's get these jeeps uncovered. I'd like to put some distance between us and here before they send any ground troops after us."

They uncovered the jeeps and continued to run for the distant base. Along the way they had to dodge another patrol and a small column. By nightfall they were ready to relax and get some sleep.

Tully pulled into a small cave that they had used for shelter earlier while on their way to drop off the operative. Hitch got a fire going and was cooking their meal while Moffitt moved the prisoner to the back of the cave. Troy kept his eye on the American pilot, alert for any attempt to harm their prisoner. Tully stood at the mouth of the cave on guard duty.

Hitch served the meals and everyone found a spot to sit while they ate. The lieutenant watched as Troy finished his meal and offered to take Tully his supper.

"Thanks Sarge." Hitch smiled in appreciation. "I'll clean up and get everything put away then I'll take care of the jeeps." He handed Troy Tully's plate and took Troy's empty one.

"I'll take the prisoner his supper." Moffitt offered.

"Do you need help?" Hitch asked.

"No thank you." Moffitt declined the offer. "I'm not going to untie his hands and he's tied to the rocks so he can't run off. We'll be fine."

Hitch nodded and busied himself cleaning up the mess from supper.

Moffitt took a weapon from his jeep and the plate of food.

"He doesn't deserve to eat." The lieutenant's angry words were pitched too low to carry to Troy in the entrance to the cave.

Hitch turned to look at the flyer. "He's a prisoner of war, we have to feed him."

"We don't have to do anything for him. He should be dead."

Hitch nodded. "He's a poor excuse for a human being, I'll give you that, but he's still our prisoner."

"No one knows we have him."

Hitch eyed the officer with a frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We could shoot him and no one would ever know."

"We'd know."

"But no one else has to know!"

"We'd know." Hitch repeated. He turned away to repack the jeep.

The lieutenant watched him work and fumed at his refusal to give in. With the jeep repacked Hitch filled the gas tanks and was working on filling the radiators. Troy was still with Tully and Moffitt was watching the prisoner eat. Hitch lifted the hood on the second jeep and was removing the radiator cap when a movement caught his eye. He looked up in time to catch the butt of one of the machine guns along the side of his head. He grunted and fell against the jeep before sliding to the ground.

Moffitt heard the thud and looked up in time to see Hitch fall to the floor of the cave. He stepped in front of the prisoner as the lieutenant pointed the gun at the German.

"Get out of the way Sergeant!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that Lieutenant. According to the Geneva Convention this man is entitled to certain protections. I can't allow you to shoot him unless he tries to escape."

"Then turn him loose and let him run." The officer demanded. "That's more of a chance than he gave Andy!"

"That's true." Moffitt nodded. "But hardly what the signers of the Geneva Convention had in mind."

"I don't care!"

"You're an officer Lieutenant." Moffitt continued calmly. "This is hardly the type of behavior one would expect of an officer. I would expect an officer to show more control over his emotions. If you shoot him Lieutenant you are no better than him."

"Andy wasn't only my wingman, he was my best friend!"

"I understand that Lieutenant but it doesn't change the facts. I still cannot allow you to shoot this prisoner under these circumstances."

"Drop the weapon Lieutenant." Troy stood behind the officer holding his own machine gun pointed at the other American.

"You may as well listen to Sergeant Troy." Moffitt urged.

"Why would I do that?" The lieutenant demanded. "He won't shoot me."

"He won't have to." Moffitt answered. "If you try to fire that weapon it will most likely blow up in your face. Tully fell with it earlier and the barrel is packed with sand. He hasn't had a chance to clean it yet."

The lieutenant looked uncertain for the first time. Taking his eyes off of Moffitt, he glanced down at the barrel of the weapon in his hands. Sand was still packed in the edges where the barrel fit into the stock. Lowering the machine gun he glared defiantly at Troy. "I'll kill him yet."

Troy took the machine gun and dropped it onto the jeep seat. "You give me any more trouble Lieutenant and we'll leave you here to walk back to your base." Keeping his own weapon, Troy stalked off, leaving the officer to glare at his back. Troy dropped to his knees next to Hitch.

"Is Hitch okay?" Moffitt asked as he knelt next to Troy.

"He's out." Troy answered with a glare at the officer. "Check him out. I'll keep an eye on both of our passengers. I'm about ready to shoot them both myself and forget they ever existed."

"There's the three s's." Tully called from the entrance to the cave where he had observed everything.

"Three s's?" Troy asked.

"Shoot, shovel, and shut up." Tully drawled. "Works back home."

"You shoot people and don't say anything?" Troy asked.

Tully grinned. "Not usually people. It's usually applied more to illegal hunting, but hey, whatever works." Tully looked toward the two unhappy passengers. "How's Hitch?" His grin faded as he looked down at the unconscious blond.

"He was knocked out but I don't think there was any real harm done." Moffitt answered. "He's going to have a headache and a tender spot for a while." Hitch started to stir as Moffitt spoke.

Troy glanced down at his driver.

Moffitt helped Hitch sit up, giving him support until he appeared steady.

"The lieutenant hit me." Hitch growled in a fair imitation of Troy.

"We saw that." Moffitt nodded as he checked Hitch's head again. "Are you seeing double?"

Hitch reached up and rubbed the darkening bruise. "No, I think I'm all right. I have a headache though."

"I'll bet you do." Moffitt chuckled in relief. "Sit still and I'll get you some aspirin."

"Finish filling the radiator." Troy ordered when he saw the look Hitch gave the lieutenant. "Is the other jeep ready?"

"Ready Sarge." Hitch nodded and winced. "This one is ready except for the radiator."

"Finish it and get some sleep, you have next watch."

Hitch glared at the lieutenant before nodding at Troy. "Thanks Doc, I'm okay now."

Moffitt stepped away so Hitch had room to get to his feet. "If you get dizzy or feel any ill effects let me know immediately."

"Okay Doc."

The lieutenant watched Troy warily as Hitch completed the maintenance on the jeep and turned in to get some sleep. "I wasn't trying to hurt him, your private, that is."

Troy looked over at the lieutenant. In the flickering light of the small fire the officer had a haunted look that Troy had seen on too many faces. It was the look of someone who had seen too much death and destruction. The flames highlighted the angular features of a face that was too thin. Only his eyes seemed immune to the dancing flames. The dark pupils were large, surrounded by a deep brown that looked black in the dim light. Constant combat and the repeated losses of those around him had taken their toll on the flyer.

"Have you been in North Africa long Lieutenant?"

"Eight months." The officer nodded. He took a seat on a rock across the fire from Troy. "They sent me here straight out of flight school. I got my first combat experience over here."

"Seen much?"

The lieutenant nodded without looking at Troy. Instead he stared at the small flames dancing in the fire. "Eleven of us came out of flight school together. We were all assigned to the same unit here in North Africa. Most of us were together in basics too. We got to be pretty close." The officer smiled fondly at the memory. "We were young, fresh out of college, and out to save the world. All of that training, we thought we were the best trained pilots in the war." He snorted. "The Germans soon showed us a few tricks we never learned in school." He shook his head. "But even then, we were young, we thought we were invincible. The thought that we could be killed never crossed our minds, at least not seriously. You know how it is; you always think it's going to happen to someone else, but not to you. No, you're the charmed one, the one no bullet can touch." The lieutenant raised his head to look at Troy. "But we were wrong. Eight months, eight lousy months, that's all it took. Andy and I were the last of us, now he's gone too."

Troy saw the tear drop from the lieutenant's face and purposely looked away. The silence felt heavy in the confines of the small cave.

"You buried him?"

"Yeah." Troy nodded. "Hitch wrapped him in his parachute and we buried him near a rock formation that protected him from the worst of the elements."

The lieutenant nodded, turning his eyes back to the fire. "I grew up next door to Andy. I'll have to write his parents, but I don't know what I'll say."

"Tell them he died saving the lives of that bomber crew." Troy suggested. "Tell them it was quick and he didn't suffer. Tell them he had a decent burial and you know where the grave is so you can find it later."

The lieutenant closed his eyes and let his head fall back as he drew a deep breath. Finally he nodded. "You're right, that's what I need to say. It won't make it right, but maybe they can find some peace with that."

"Nothing is going to make it right." Troy answered. "Killing that kraut pilot won't make it right. It won't change what happened. It won't bring him back."

"Have you ever lost a close friend?"

Troy nodded, mentally listing the names of all of the friends he'd lost. "That's why I try so hard to protect the ones that are still here."

"Your men?"

"My men." Troy acknowledged.

"It doesn't pay to get too close emotionally." The lieutenant stated.

_Too late for that. _Troy thought.

The lieutenant sighed and got to his feet. "I think I'll turn in." He turned toward the blankets Moffitt had laid out for him. "I'll apologize to your private tomorrow."

Troy watched the officer shuffle off to his bed and thought about the friends he'd lost in the war.


	4. Chapter 4

**High Flying Trouble **

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

True to his word the lieutenant made a point of apologizing to Hitch first thing the next morning. Hitch accepted the apology but Troy noted that the blond didn't turn his back on the lieutenant while they were getting ready to leave. They heated a quick breakfast, fed themselves and the prisoner, and resumed their journey.

The German air base was still close enough to be a threat so they stayed close to the base of the mountains for another day. Twice they spotted planes in the sky but neither of them came close enough to be a real threat. The Germans seemed to be concentrating their search on the area behind them.

The day wore on and the combination of the sun's heat and moisture from the ocean turned the air heavy and muggy. Everyone was ready for a break when Troy called a halt to service the jeeps. Hitch took the watch while Tully went over both vehicles. Hitch still had a headache and Troy was trying not to make it too obvious that he was taking it easy on his driver. Moffitt dug out the maps and calculated their position and checked their route.

Troy wandered over to Moffitt while keeping a close eye on the lieutenant and the German pilot. "How's it look Doctor?"

Moffitt looked up and smiled. "We're making good time despite our passengers. At this rate we should reach the base by dark."

"Good, I can't wait to get rid of this guy."

"Which guy would that be?" The Brit asked as he looked over at the two passengers.

"The kraut." Troy replied. "The lieutenant I could get used to."

Moffitt nodded knowingly. "I heard what the lieutenant told you last night."

"He did apologize to Hitch right away this morning." Troy added.

"He did." The Brit agreed. "I suppose he's not such a bad chap once he calms down a bit."

Troy glanced over at the lieutenant who was staring off across the desert. "I guess not…but that doesn't mean I trust him now. Just because he got all chatty last night doesn't change the fact that he tried to kill our prisoner, twice."

"Of course not." Moffitt smiled at Troy's defensive tone. "And he hit Hitch." The Brit added. "But one can see where the anger is coming from; those pilots don't have it easy."

"None of us do Moffitt, that's no excuse."

"I wasn't claiming that it was, I was just saying that it makes it easier to understand."

"I can't let him kill our prisoner."

"No, you can't, but we don't have to condemn him for the thought either. We aren't exactly immune to those desires ourselves. We haven't acted on them but we think them from time to time, at least I do."

"We never killed an unarmed prisoner. Every one we killed had the chance to defend himself."

"That's true." Moffitt watched the officer for a moment. "I think what you told him finally sank in, he hasn't even looked at the prisoner since we stopped."

"Or he could be trying to get us to lower our guard." Troy answered suspiciously. "Maybe he thinks if he ignores him now he'll get a chance to try again later after we relax."

"That's entirely possible too." The Brit smiled. "But we all know you won't do anything like that."

"If he doesn't he'll find out quick enough if he tries something." Troy growled.

Moffitt smiled again and began to put the maps away. "I'll let the prisoner stretch his legs before we start again."

Troy nodded and walked away to stretch his own legs a bit before climbing back into the cramped rear of the jeep.

"Sarge, I hear something." Hitch's call put everyone on alert.

Troy ran up to where Hitch stood guard to listen for himself. Tully made sure his jeep hood was secure and went to check the other one. Moffitt urged the prisoner back into the jeep and kept him covered as he waited to see what was happening.

"Get down!"

Troy's yell sent everyone ducking for cover. The shell from the halftrack hit near the jeeps sending shrapnel and bits of rock flying through the air. Moffitt, Tully, and the lieutenant were huddled behind a large rock while the prisoner hid behind a smaller rock close by. A second shell landed on the ridge where Troy and Hitch had taken cover.

As the bits of rock and dirt hit the ground Moffitt leaned out to look for the others. "Are you all right Troy?"

"We're fine Moffitt but we need to get out of here." Troy called back. "Wait for the next shell and then run for the jeeps."

"Right." Moffitt turned to look toward the jeeps and gave a startled cry as he spotted the prisoner.

The German pilot had already reached the jeeps and was pulling a machine gun out of the holder.

"Look out!" The Brit yelled as the German aimed the gun at them.

The lieutenant hit the ground behind a small rock. Moffitt twisted and went down as Tully grabbed his arm and pulled. He heard the shot as he fell, followed by a scream. Confused for a second, he twisted to look at Tully, checking for wounds. Tully didn't look hurt and he knew he wasn't injured. It occurred to him that the scream had come from the wrong direction to be the lieutenant. When he looked toward the officer the lieutenant was staring wide-eyed toward the jeeps. Moffitt turned to look that way too.

"I never got a chance to clean that weapon." Tully drawled as they stared at the ruined face of the German pilot. As Moffitt had warned the lieutenant, the sand in the barrel had caused the weapon to explode when fired. The gun had literally blown up in the German's face, killing him almost instantly. The scream had been more of a reflex than a conscious thought.

"It's a bit late now Tully." Moffitt answered. The next shell whistled by to land in front of the jeeps. Moffitt picked himself up and ran for the vehicles. "Let's go!"

Tully, Moffitt, and the lieutenant reached the jeeps just ahead of Troy and Hitch. Both jeep engines roared as they left the dead German pilot behind and ran for their lives.

The German column tried to follow but the faster jeeps soon left the heavier vehicles far behind. They shifted their route even closer to the mountains in case the column called for air support. Their caution paid off as a pair of fighters streaked over the mountain top just minutes later.

"Here they come!" Troy yelled to the others.

"We can't outrun them!" The lieutenant shouted as the jeeps picked up speed.

"Hang on Lieutenant!" Troy responded as he cleared the chamber on the 50.

The planes came in low, one following closely behind the other. Bullets tore up the ground behind the racing jeeps as the pilots tried to walk their shots to the targets.

There wasn't much room for the jeeps to maneuver but they followed their usual procedure. The jeeps stayed side-by-side until Troy gave the order to split up. Both drivers yanked on the wheels, sending the tiny vehicles off in different directions. The pilots, not expecting that maneuver, overshot their targets.

Troy and Moffitt took full advantage of the temporary confusion to hit the planes with heavy bullets from the 50's. The pilots tried desperately to pull up and get out of range.

Troy's bullets tore gaping holes in the wings of the first plane. The thin outer skin of the wings began to tear as the force of the wind passing beneath them widened the holes. The pilot managed to gain altitude but not without causing more damage with the rapid climb.

Moffitt's bullets hit a fuel line on the second plane, setting the fuel on fire and leaving a glittering streamer of burning fuel chasing after the plane. Both jeeps slowed as their occupants watched the streamer catch up to the plane. The wing exploded sending the fighter into a spiral that drove it nose first into the ground with a huge bang.

The first pilot had troubles of his own. The damaged wing was getting worse and affecting his ability to stay airborne. The five men watched as he turned toward the ocean and fought for altitude. Moments later they saw him eject over the water. The plane continued on for a while until the wing completely disintegrated and the fighter crashed into the waves. The pilot hit the water and struggled to get out from under the wet parachute. He was still fighting the clingy material as the jeeps roared out of sight over the hill.

Troy glanced over at the lieutenant as Hitch guided the jeep skillfully around the rocks and hills. The officer hadn't said a word since the battle with the planes. The sergeant noticed that his color had returned after his initial shock of surviving the encounter. Glancing over his shoulder Troy made sure that Tully and Moffitt hadn't dropped behind.

Moffitt was watching the sky but Tully noticed him looking. He gave Troy a wink to let him know that all was well. Troy turned back to watch for their next challenge.

It was almost dark when they reached the American base. They had managed to finish the trip without having to fight off any more Germans. Troy, Moffitt, and the lieutenant stretched after sliding out of the jeeps in front of the commanding officer's headquarters. Troy looked around at the flurry of activity on the streets and frowned.

"Can you find the motor pool okay?"

"We'll ask if we can't." Tully answered. He rolled his matchstick in his mouth and shifted to relieve tired muscles.

"Where do you want us to meet you?" Hitch asked. He blew a bubble and popped it as he waited for an answer.

"You'll probably be done before we are so just meet us back here. We'll get our room assignments before we come out. Then we'll head for the showers before we get something to eat."

"Right Sarge." Hitch answered as Tully nodded. They drove off leaving the three men to turn and enter the building.

Hitch and Tully were waiting outside when Troy and Moffitt finally finished their briefings. The commander had insisted they finish their written reports and turn them in before allowing them to leave. They had their room assignments when they stepped out into the cool night air.

"Everything okay Sarge?" Hitch asked as Troy gave a huge sigh.

"Fine Hitch, I'm just glad that's over."

"Did that lieutenant try to get us in trouble for not letting him kill that kraut?"

Troy looked at his driver in surprise. "Why would he?"

"He said he was going to put us all on report for insubordination." The blond explained.

"I guess he had a change of heart then because he didn't say anything to the commander."

"He really couldn't say much." Moffitt added. "He hit an enlisted man." The Brit pointed at the bruise on the side of Hitch's head.

"Did you tell them that Sarge?"

"No, I didn't." Troy admitted. "You can file a complaint if you want but I figured that he had already suffered enough. Why make it harder?"

"Are you talking about him losing his buddy?" Tully asked.

"Not just that one, all of them." Troy explained. "The kraut's dead, Hitch wasn't seriously hurt, it's over. I just thought it might be easier on all of us if we just let it stay that way." He looked at his driver, waiting for him to agree or disagree.

"I guess you're right." Hitch nodded. "I know I'd be mad if someone killed one of you guys."

"Especially if they did it the way that kraut did it." Tully added. "That pilot never had a chance."

"That's part of it too." Troy agreed. "Getting the lieutenant in trouble wouldn't help anyone."

"I get it Sarge. I don't need to file charges."

"Good," Troy nodded, "because I didn't really want to stick around long enough to testify. Now, did you happen to find the mess hall or the showers? I'm ready to scrape about three layers of dirt off of me and get something to eat. Then I'm going to sleep for two days straight."

"At least." Moffitt added.

Tully and Hitch laughed.

"We found them Sarge." Tully grinned. "We knew you'd be looking for them."

"Then what are you waiting for, lead on." Troy urged. "I'm starved."


End file.
